7th June 2014

Saturday 7th June

Spent 3 lovely relaxing days with hosts Mathilde and Rick at La Campina.

The morning after our arrival the Belgian couple who were occupying a larger pitch next to us moved on and we decided to move across one space so we could make use of our awning. 

Ruin of Roman Bridge

Had a lovely trip out on Thursday on our little scooter to a local monastery where Rick and Mathilde were married. The monk who greeted us showed us into a pretty  and very cool courtyard covered with vines and filled with orange and lemon trees and a variety of exotic plants. So beautiful but we couldn't take photos. He then showed us the interior of the church which had a beautiful ornately carved altar. Leaving the monastery we followed a small service road alongside a canal where we saw the remains of what until recent years according to Rick had been a splendid Roman bridge with 15 arches but which has been left to deteriorate into a complete ruin. Such a shame. We were also directed to a lake situated close to the canal which is a haven for wild birds but unfortunately we didn't find it arriving instead in a small local town Puente Genil where had an excellent lunch. Later that afternoon an english couple John and Maxine from Halifax arrived and parked their very large caravan next to us. Poor things their caravan moved had broken down and the van had to be reversed then moved manually into the narrow space. Ken assisted with the process for which they were every grateful and later they joined us for the evening in the on site bar eventually leaving at midnight when it was clear Rick and Mathilde wanted to close!

Yesterday with temperatures in the 30s we decided reluctantly that we should move onto to a cooler area and headed for the Cadiz area,The Aires book gave a glowing picture of an Aire Beside the beachfront in Sanlucar de Barrameda, which is large sandy car park, there were signs of an encampment being set up in the centre consisting of caravans and Motorhomes in a square, this prospect and the fact that the area looked a bit run down, we decided to move on further down the coast,  eventually arriving at a lovely site opposite a beach at Puerta de Santa Maria. Paid for 3 nights initially and plan to visit Cadiz tomorrow as there is a ferry from the port here which takes us across the bay to Cadiz thus avoiding lots of driving and parking issues.

3rd June 2014

What a find! Turned out to be a mix of a country park come zoo with facilities for picnics and barbecues and a horse riding stable attached. Also bars, restaurant , crazy golf and children's play area and an all important car park with motorhome service point . There were also regular Guardia Civil security patrols. They had free wifi in the bar/ restaurant and the food was cheap and plentiful if not always to our taste. The bar was well patronised until the early hours of the morning, Weather is now much more like the Andalucian temperatures we are used to touching 30 degrees at time .

Sunday 1st May

Awoke to the sound of barking dogs which proved to be the  regular weekly dog obedience / training class. They were all very large dogs ; a Great Dane; German Shepherds; Akitos etc and were learning a mix of skills from simple sit and stay to attack training as guard dogs. The Great Dane in particular looked so soppy with its owner that I think it’s only deterrent would have to be its size!

Took the opportunity of going out on the bike to visit a local village which didn’t have a lot to commend it other than another ruined castle with far reaching views. We even struggled to find a bar for a cold drink!

There was in influx of pensioners via cars and coaches back at the park  during the evening in contrast to the families and children the day before but everything went quiet by 11pm so we had a good night’s sleep.

Monday 2nd June

Awoke with the realisation that today being Monday would mean that everything official would be closed. Confirmed this on the web site for Cordoba so decided to take a leisurely drive through the local area to check out a motorhome Aire at Alanis which turned out to be in the centre of the small town in a very pretty square, It is a real credit to the local municipality that they have provided these facilities. Have already found a local bar which is convenient and friendly. The only downside is that there doesn't seem to be any internet access in the area.

Spent a pleasant evening sat outside the bar eating and drinking and watching the to’ing and fro’ing of the locals with their trailers loaded with horses. We never managed to work out what exactly was going on! At one point a horse drawn cart came up to the cross roads with a horse toed to the back and it stopped for several minutes and everyone stared when suddenly a little foal appeared which obviously had got left behind. They were reunited and all set off again out of view.

By the time we got back to the motorhome there were quite a few families in the square enjoying their evening walk. All went quiet at 10pm and we had a relatively peaceful night.

Tuesday 3rd June

Alcazar Pathetic Pansy display

Had a rude awakening from the local farmers off to work! Set off early for Cordoba but unfortunately followed the directions of the sat nag which we use for the car not the one for the larger vehicles and it too us through a Parque Naturel through the Sierra Norte on a road which deteriorated by the kilometre until we were driving at speeds of only 5 - 10mph. It seemed to last forever and I have never been so glad to see a proper tarmac’d road with white lines! Arrived in cordoba at around 2pm in the extreme heat of the day . with temperatures around 35 degrees we struggled to enjoy the sights and were very disappointed on a return visit to the Alcazar Palace to see the gardens in such poor state with wilting flowers and dried up flower beds - not a patch on last year’s display.

Grumpy Old gardener?

Eventually admitted defeat and set off for La Campina camp site where we have stayed for the past 2 years and have enjoyed so much. Had a warm welcome from Mathilde and her husband Rick and parked next to a Dutch couple who we met here last year. Fortunately the pitch is orientated to allow for satellite reception so I can continue watching the French open tennis!

Saturday 31st May

Wednesday 28th May

Decided to move on to Elvas on our way back into Spain as we wanted to visit the fortifications. Parked by the impressive Roman aqueduct and used the bike to visit Fort Graca which we tried to visit last year but there was no entry permitted at that time . Had read that this year it had been taken over from the military as a world heritage site and there is a plan to restore and redevelop. When we arrived it was still derelict with warning signs saying no access allowed which we promptly ignored and scrambled over the battlements eventually getting access to part of the main building. It was a bit spooky inside but will be absolutely fabulous when restored as it is absolutely massive. went on to visit Fort de Santa Lucia which is a smaller restored fort run by the local municipality and which gives some indication of how Fort Gracia will look when completed. Had a guided tour of the site , ostensibly in English, although communication was a little difficult at times. Weather sunny but still very windy - not as warm quite yet as we would like  but looks to improving by the weekend.

Thursday 29th May

Left Elvas for Merida intending to stay on an aire in the centre of the city. Unfortunately on arrival we were told that it was full and so we left in search of the only campsite Camping Merida which turned out to be approx 17 KM outside Merida! It seemed a little run down ; there were very few pole staying there; the reception was closed and we went into the bar to get a drink and were ignored in favour of other patrons! Decided we had been ignored at better places and moved on. Stopped for fuel at a service station with a difference. It boasted a Triumph motorcycle dealership and a swish Harley Davidson with its own multi seated restaurant and bar. Stayed for a creditable lunch and were served by staff in HD logo'd uniforms. Will it catch on elsewhere? 

Decided to press on to the next nearest aire in Don Benito which was not very impressive being in the middle of a bus station , but we had passed a very interesting looking castle on a hill by a small village called Medellin so we decided to return and parked up by the river next to a medieval bridge.Visited the Tourist Info office and discovered that in addition to the castle there were the remains of a Roman amphitheatre and a couple of churches which were well worth a visit. Had a guided tour of the Roman amphitheatre which was a bit of a let down as the guide only spoke Spanish and left Ken and I to read the English version of the descriptive notices. Managed to get reprimanded for walking on the Roman marble floor although there were no notices or barriers!and nowhere else to walk! Had our evening meal by the river at a chingurritto bar where we shared a whole charcoal grilled chicken with fries and salad. We staggered 10 yards to the motorhome parked nearby and had a very peaceful night.

Friday 30th May

Headed for Zafra and stopped for a break by a dam overlooking a reservoir at Alange which we thought might be near some Roman ruins. We didn't find but the views over the dam were spectacular and we had a nice break during the heat of the day before continuing on to Zafra.

Parked on an aire adjacent to an exhibition centre close to the centre of town which quickly filled up with another 10 motorhomes including a very swish Concorde Charisma owned by a couple from Antwerp. It is absolutely beautiful and with every comfort but enormous and must be a nightmare to drive on small roads. Zafra is very pretty and likened to a “little Seville” with two arcaded squares built in the 15th century and oranges hanging from the trees along the pavements. 

Saturday 31st May

Big disappointment! The noise overnight was horrendous until 5am with shouting ; fireworks and traffic noise. The young people of Zafra certainly know how to enjoy themselves. So at the earliest opportunity we packed up and headed south on the road to Cordoba and just before Azuaga on the N432 we came across a national park with a motorhome service area. It is quiet and shady with a nearby nature reserve and bar / restaurant. 

23rd May 2014

Friday 23rd May

A50 Motorway Aire

Had a good night’s sleep in spite of the weather - more wind and rain all night! Drier morning but rain clouds threatening so decided to miss visiting Salamanca as we had been there last year and instead to head further south for Caceres where we hoped to stay on an aire situated a few minutes walk from the old town. Arrived early afternoon to find all the spaces full and one French motorhome already waiting to park. As we were parked up waiting in an area designated for coaches we were more than a little wary following our experience in Segovia! However Ken got chatting to a Spanish man who was already parked in the wire and when the motorhome next to his drove away he agreed to move his vehicle over and created sufficient space both for us and the French motorhome to park comfortably. Weather had picked up and was warm and sunny so we walked into Cacares which has an interesting medieval centre with lots of old churches and buildings. Returned early evening to the motorhome and booked a table at the local auberge situated next to the aire. This was full of teenagers on a cycling holiday and very noisy and the park outside was not much better as families had gathered to enjoy the good weather and the start of the weekend.

Caceres

Saturday 24th May

Next morning we realised that with the weekend coming up we might find difficulty getting a palace on the aire at Merida our next planned port of call so as we were close to Portugal we decided to return to Camping Alantejo and renew our acquaintance with the Dutch owner Seibo knowing it would be a nice quiet place for the weekend and where we would be guaranteed internet access. We headed across country to Badajoz stopping en route at a motorway service station which was heaving with Real Madrid and Athletico Madrid fans en route to Lisbon. Lots of coaches, fans, Guardia Civil, helicopters and TV cameras meant it was impossible to get anywhere near the cafe so we made our own coffee on board and continued on our way arriving at our destination at around lunch time.

Spent the evening in Evoramonte a small village close to the camp site where we had an “interesting “ meal at a Moldovan restaurant followed by drinks in a local bar which had the only wide screen TV in the village! Really enjoyed the match and the locals were all really friendly and rooting for Real as were we! 

Sunday 25th May

This morning thank goodness it is sunny once more.  Had booked the one and only washing machine (an important part of a camping holiday!) for l p.m. so left it running and went into Evoramonte for lunch at another local restaurant . Quite an experience as we didn’t have a clue what we were ordering as the menu was illegibly handwritten and completely in Portuguese! Returned to the site a bit late to find a rather stern lady waiting to use the machine for her load . Internet has been a problem all day and not sure when we will get it back to post this bit of the blog.

Monday 26th May

Today is sunny and fairly warm so decided to visit Estremoz a town a few miles from the site. As we have been there several times before we spent time drinking coffee in the sunshine and watching the locals. Internet was a problem again on the site and we hoped that we might be OK in the town but unfortunately it was just as patchy. Did some shopping and returned to the site for lunch and a lazy afternoon in the sun. I also managed to catch up on some French Open tennis!

At around 6pm the site owner came to tell us the wifi was fixed and we now seem to have a stable signal. It really has become so important for keeping in touch with everything and everyone!

18th May 2014

 18th May 2014

Up early this morning he left home at 8.15 called in Princess Drive Weigh bridge to check the axle weights before heading out through Stratford and Evesham to join the M5 at Tewkesbury had a steady drive down the M5 to Plymouth no real traffic problems except for the occasional roadworks where we were limited to 50 mph, arrived in Plymouth  at 1:15 had quite a long wait to board the ferry one of the first to arrive and the last to board! At  present  sailing into the Bay of Biscay  and the sea is flat calm and we seem to be making good progress. Our cabin not quite as good as a Commodore class but is adequate.  We might have a problem with getting a table in the restaurant apparently a number of 50+ parties have already booked which means that we're on a reserved list so we will wait-and-see. Had a couple of drinks in the bar  where there was a quiz taking place and we could've done with Ray to help answer some of  the  sport questions!

We went into the bar at 9 o'clock as arranged , we did have to wait about half an hour for a table, it was worth the wait and had a very nice meal Janet had had lamb and I had salmon with the obligatory bottle of wine we celebrated in style and afterwards  went down  to the bar for the evening’s entertainment , a rather mediocre magician/comic and an even more mediocre singer who was a supporting singer for Jane McDonald (says it all) . Stayed in the  bar until about 130 in the morning drinking and dancing , Met an ex-pat  who lives near Marbella for part of the year who invited  us out if we were in the area and would show us the local clubs.

Monday, 19 May 2014       We had a very good nights sleep on board the sea was really calm and the sound of the engine was quite soporific . We woke about 8 o'clock and went  for breakfast.  Had a little bit of a problem negotiating Santander to get out into the countryside, once we reset the satnav and changed the settings  we headed for a place called Parque de Carbarceno  which is a Zoo/Safari Park and has a motorhome Aire right next to a lake with variety of other motor homes already there. Weather is mixture of cloud and sunshine about 17 degrees. Walked into.the local village where only one small bar was open so no possibility of an evening meal but had a nice  cup of coffee in the sunshine and returned to the motorhome for the  evening 

Tuesday 20th May     We had  good nights sleep and awoke to find a somewhat overcast morning so decided not to visit the Safari Park as we had previously planned and Ken was frightened being attacked by  Lions ( apparently water buffalo can be quite aggressive if provoked), despite the assertions of the staff that it would be safe to ride round the park on a motorbike we were not convinced. As we left we did stop to take some photos of the elephants from a safe distance as they were in an area  close to the perimeter fence.

We picked up the A-67 Motorway heading south, filled up with fuel at Reinosa and  continued down to Palencia municipal aire on the south side of the city, which was well set up for Motorhomes and only 2 minutes walk into the centre. Spent the afternoon touring the sights, the highlight being the Cathedral. Found a nice Tapas bar of the Calle Mayor called Candilles

Wednesday 21st May

Rained very heavily overnight, kept us awake. The weather does not seem to be improving. It is now very windy with long bursts of rain, not ideal conditions for travel. We will sit down with the maps and guides to make some plans. We have made the odd foray into town during brief lulls in the weather. We will see what tomorrow brings.

Thursday 22nd May

Another night of wind and rain, but I think we will have to make a move today. Plan is to visit Segovia. As we arrived we followed a Spanish motorhome into the centre and as expected he knew of a parking area large enough for motorhomes. Unfortunately the car park was already full and we followed him into the coach parking area where we parked together on the edge of the area hoping to be out of the way. Fortunately we left our phone number with the Spanish driver whilst we went into Segovia. We had only been gone for 15 minutes or so when he phoned to say the police had arrived and asked us both to move! in the absence of anywhere else large enough for our vehicle we sadly left Segovia without seeing anything except from a distance!

Headed to Salamanca and stopped for a break at a service station on the A50 motorway which unexpectedly has fantastic facilities for motorhomes so we plan to park here overnight. As it also boasts wifi we are now able to post the blog so far!

Pre Departure

Looking forward to the next trip. Leaving Plymouth on 18th May 2014 on board the Pont Aven across the Bay of Biscay to Santander. We have abandoned the idea towing a trailer carrying the big scooter and have now fitted a scooter rack to the tow bar to carry a small 125cc scooter for local trips.